Liberal leadership has 'turned the world upside down': Bratton
Former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton calls out Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and other soft-on-crime politicians for encouraging the defund movement and calls for more support for law enforcement.
As crime skyrockets in many liberal-run cities, a former NYPD commissioner called out soft-on-crime politicians for embracing the "defund" movement and putting Americans at risk.
On "America's Newsroom" Wednesday, Bill Bratton responded to the controversy over a 61-year-old bodega worker, Jose Alba, being charged with murder for defending his store.
"This case highlights how [DA Alvin Bragg] has turned the criminal justice system in Manhattan on its head, where he's effectively making decisions that you just shake your head at," Bratton told Bill Hemmer and Sandra Smith.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. ((Barry Williams/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images))
Bratton argued the incident at the New York City bodega and the charges which followed highlighted the problems with liberal leadership and public safety, particularly due to the "defund police" movement.
After the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, nationwide outrage prompted a growing push for defunding law enforcement and approaching crime from a different perspective. The consequence for many cities was increased crime and lenient policies.
"Most of the shootings and murders in New York City right now, indeed around the country are in those minority neighborhoods," Bratton stated. "Minority neighborhoods want the police."
New York City has seen nearly a 40% increase in violent crimes since 2021 with the past week reporting 2,623 violent crimes like murder, rape and robbery.
Chicago is another city facing a violent crime surge and a recent shooting in Highland Park over the July 4th holiday.
Some cities, however, have taken steps to counter the effects of soft-on-crime policies to address the crisis.
San Francisco voters recalled liberal District Attorney Chesa Boudin last month for his policies which they felt had encouraged a surge in violent crime and open-air drug trade.
Many liberal district attorneys with soft-on-crime policies are facing growing pressure to take action and re-imagine how to support law enforcement and crack down on crime.
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"I think most people understand we don't need to defund the police. You need to refund them - better training, better equipment, better recruiting," Bratton shared. "We need to stop attacking the police profession in general."